Women are funny creatures that require validation and acceptance. Part of our drive to be accepted is to avoid being shunned from whatever social group we are members of. One of the worst scenarios that can happen to a woman is to be outcast from her group for not meeting its standards. Women combat the media’s portrayal of the ‘ideal’ woman for fear of not being accepted for who and what they are by their partners, parents, children, and friends .A major campaign in this “liberated women’s war” against the media’s ideal image are postings of sayings and pictures like the one above of Marilyn Monroe and Kate Bosworth.

Every time I see this misleading illustration splash across my Facebook feed I cringe. My frustration swells as I read through the comments left by women, many of whom are my friends, applauding the attainable and ‘more realistic’ body of Marilyn Monroe versus that of a seemingly underweight Kate Bosworth. What many don’t realize is that Marilyn’s body is just as unattainable as her modern-day counterparts. Aside from BMI {body mass index}, there is actually very little difference between Marilyn’s measurements and current icons of the silver screen. Marilyn was a petite woman with naturally large breasts. Her figure was literally of EPIC proportions; the personification of an ideal hourglass.

But what does this mean…really? For a little perspective I will serve myself {a notoriously ‘Skinny Bitch’} as comparison.

My Stats

Height: 5’4”

Weight: Between 110-114 lbs.

Measurements: 29.5 / 26.5 / 34.5

Bra Size: 34B {dropped from a spectacular 32C; the price paid for nursing}

Modern Jean Size: European 25 or 26 U.S. 2

Modern Dress Size: 2

Shoes Size: 7 ½ B

I write this post not to disgrace the memory, intelligence, beauty and sex appeal of Marilyn nor to participate in bashing Kate Bosworth, I write this post to encourage woman to stop looking to movie stars, models, and celebrities for an accurate depiction of reality…you will not find validation there…NEVER! The media serves us the dream, the illusion, the ideal because that is what we, the consumers, have asked for. Don’t think so? Really? Oftentimes women deny their hunger for the illusion because to admit they receive equal pleasure from the fantasy would be hypocritical. What if the hottest movie stars weren’t Ryan Gosling or George Clooney but looked like your boss, husband, or UPS driver? People see the everyday…well, everyday. Do you really want to escape into a world that looks exactly like the world you’re escaping from? Of course not. The fantasy is fun to visit and pleasing to look at. Like admiring fine art in a museum, there is no shame in enjoying the beautiful. But just as I don’t get dejected recognizing that a Monet’s serendipitous masterpiece does not emulate the real world outside my window; women must stop seeking validation from the silver screen for those images are also masterpieces. I do the best with what I have, knowing that my body is not a masterpiece of Marilyn proportion and will never be. Recently, an article posed the question, “Why Does Marilyn’s Dress Size Matter?” It matters because too many women are serving up a goddess as a prototype for the norm. Marilyn’s magnificent hourglass figure and immense sex appeal were so extraordinary that they eclipsed her true essence from everyone; even those close to her. I think it’s ironic that women are using Marilyn’s body and image in an “F*ck Society” campaign, when it was society’s hyper-focus on her figure that that drove her to an early grave. Marilyn wanted to be appreciated for more than the sum of her parts and yet women are using her parts to validate their own. The practice is unfair and hypocritical. So please, the next time you see the post above come across your Facebook feed, don’t comment or share; admire the beautiful person that Marilyn was inside and out, acknowledge the beautiful person that you are inside and out, but do stop perpetuating the hypocrisy and myth. That’s how you can truly tell society to F*ck Off.

Great post, Marrie. I look to Marilyn as a role model for many things. She was a beautiful vulnerable woman. Did you know she also had breast implants? Get this... made from KITCHEN SPONGES... yep, that's how they used to do it... they tried everything but the kitchen sink to make women sex objects. I read that in one of those 40+ mags a while ago.. MORE maybe... "I dunno I was at a spa and it was there in front of me" she protests.
Did you also know that the term Hysterical comes from latin/greek hysteria which is ovaries and what therapists did to treat women with hysteria was FUCK them senselessly into orgasm. Yeah... okay, so that's off the point.
Point is, there are many views of what is and isn't sexy, but a woman should not starve herself or mutilate her body to appeal to men. There is a man (and my bet is more than one) who will love you exactly the way you are... says the girl with the 34A chest.

Kudos to you for this post about Marilyn. Made me think of the movie Detachment. The term Doublethink comes up - willingness to believe a truth and a lie as the same. "I can be beautiful if I'm a size 2." Too much of this going on - at all ages. Not all women are able to shake the "ideal body" as they get older. I write about health and nutrition - and am still astounded how many people still equate skinny with healthy. If I hear one more "Thank you" in response to the statment, "You look so tiny," I'll pull my hair out.